Final Blog -Ending off a Long Chapter (Blog #60)

Film opening

Technologies- CCR Question #4 Final Result (Blog #59) CCRS

 

Making my CCR question #4 zine was a really enjoyable and creative process. I started by exploring lots of zine ideas on Pinterest and saving anything and everything that inspired me or seemed useful for the future of this project. Then I mapped out what I wanted to include, designed the cover, and built each page one by one, tweaking and reworking them until I was happy with how they looked and made sure the pages also answered the question. Overall, it was a fun way to combine creativity with planning and see my ideas come together visually.

Here is the final result 

The Making of The CCR Question #4 (Zine) (Blog #58) CCRS

For my CCR question #4, I decided to make a zine because it felt like the best way to show my ideas creativity instead of sticking to a traditional format. A lot of my inspiration came from Pinterest, where I spent time looking through different zine styles, layouts, and designs. Most of the backgrounds and graphics I used were things I simply liked or thought looked cool, and I edited them so they would fit smoothly into the overall look of the zine. 

Before I started designing, I made a folder on Pinterest to save anything that inspired me or gave me ideas I could use later. This helped me stay organized and made the process feel less overwhelming. I started by writing out a list of everything I talked about in the answer I wrote a few blogs ago and created a page for each topic, simply putting the title and nothing else. I then started with the cover, using a zine cover I found online as a guide but adding my own twist to make it feel more personal. 

(Both screenshots from the folder I created on Pinterest for this project) 

I worked on the zine one page at a time, which made the whole project easier to manage. Once I had a rough draft, I went back and looked at what I liked and what I didn’t. If a page didn’t feel right, I duplicated it and tried again until it worked. When I wasn’t sure how to improve something, I went back to researching for more ideas and inspiration. Even for the photos used in the zine, I took ideas from online and mixed and matched ideas and created my own version of it all. Through this process I was able to complete my zine, CCR question #4. 

(The different version I created for the same pages) 

(Some of inspiration that came from Pinterest)

I’ve been junk journaling for about three years, and it’s something I really enjoy doing, so making a zine felt very familiar to me, almost like junk journaling, just more organized and done digitally. Because of that, the process felt fun instead of stressful. Even though it took a few days to finish, I really enjoyed creating it and felt like it was a great way to combine my creativity with a school assignment.

Planning For CCR Question #4 (Blog #57) CCRS

A zine is a small, self published booklet that is usually handmade or digitally designed and used as a form of creative expression. Zines are often personal, informal, and experimental, combining images, text, collage, and design to communicate ideas in a unique way. Due to zines not following strict rules or professional standards, zines allow creators to freely express their thoughts and creativity. This flexibility is one of the main reasons I chose a zine as the format for answering CCR question four. 

For my response, I plan to create a zine that reflects both my creative process and me as the creator of this film opening. The idea for using a zine originally came from my sister, who introduced me to them this past summer. When she showed me examples, I thought they were really cool and creative, especially because they felt personal and authentic rather than overly polished. That made me realize that a zine would be a good way to communicate my ideas in a way that feels true to me. 

To begin the project, I started by gathering inspiration from Pinterest, where I explored different zine layouts, collage styles, and visual aesthetics. I  focused on images and designs that stood out to me, either because they can be connected to the fourth CCR question or they simply looked interesting and visually strong. Pinterest helped me brainstorm ideas and think about how I might structure my own zine without directly copying other people’s work. 

Inspiration found on Pinterest

After that, I began working in Canva by selecting cutouts and visual elements that were inspired by what I saw on Pinterest. These cutouts helped me start building the visual language of my zine and experimenting with how images and text could work together. At this stage, the project is still very much in the early stages of development, but starting digitally has helped me organize my ideas and get a clearer sense of direction. 

The very very rough current version of the magazine cover 

( I plan on including a picture of myself here to introduce the story being told- my journey) 

(I went though all of Canva's fonts and picked which I think could work for in this project and have them there ready to be used)

As part of the zine, I also plan to include a photoshoot to introduce myself as the creator of the film opening. This photoshoot will help establish my identity as the filmmaker and make the zine feel more personal and connected to my work. By including images of myself, I’ll be able to play around with a few more ideas I’ve seen on Pinterest and make sure the zine remains somewhat magazine-like. After all zine is the last four letters of a magazine, it wouldn’t feel real without a model and that will unfortunately have be me. I say unfortunately since I would much rather be behind the camera but it is what it is. 

Overall, choosing to create a zine for CCR question four allows me to combine reflection, creativity and personal identity into one format. Even though the project is still in progress, using inspiration from Pinterest, experimenting with cutouts in Canva, and planning a photoshoot has given me a strong starting point. I believe this approach will help me clearly communicate my ideas while also showcasing my creativity and development as a filmmaker of this opening.  

Production Skills- CCR Question #3 Final Result (Blog #56) CCRS

Working on my first CCR video for question #3 was a new and meaningful experience for me, I didn’t want the video to be a simple explanation, so I pushed myself to make it creative and engaging. From the beginning, I knew that visuals and editing would play a big role in how I communicated my ideas, and I wanted the video to reflect my effort and creativity. Similar to how the day-in-the-life videos are, which is where I drew most of my inspiration from for this video.

I created most of my graphics using Canva, which allowed me to experiment with different colors, fonts, and styles. I spent a lot of time adjusting details and testing out ideas until everything looked right. Canva helped me visually organize my thoughts and made the video feel more polished and intentional. 

(Graphics made in Canva for the video)

During the editing process, I was constantly switching between Canva and CapCut. Even though this took extra time, it ended up being one of the most important parts of the project. Editing became the main way I expressed my creativity. I wasn’t just putting clips together, I was using visuals, transitions, noise effects, and timing to bring energy and personality into the video. 

(Screenshot of the editing timeline in CapCut)

At the beginning of this class, one of my main goals was to improve my editing skills, and this project showed me how much progress I’ve made. Editing is now the main way my creativity is being showcased in this video. The way I combined different graphics, colors, fonts, and effects in CapCut helped keep the video engaging and prevented it from feeling repetitive. It also helped highlight important ideas and made the video more interesting to watch. 

(More graphics made in Canva)

Overall, creating my first CCR video helped me grow creatively and gain confidence in my editing abilities. This experience pushed me to rely on my creativity and showed me how much editing can transform a project. Looking back, I feel proud of how my skills have developed and how this video reflects the growth I wanted to achieve at the start of the course. 

(Final product- CCR (Question #3))

Production Skills -CCR Question #3 Script (Blog #55) CCRS

When writing my CCR 3 script, I was very intentional about how I structured my response and what information I chose to include. I knew that simply listing my skills or experiences could feel repetitive or unengaging, so I wanted the script to feel more like a story rather than a straightforward explanation. To do this, I focused on presenting my growth as a journey, showing how my past experience led into the challenges and learning moments of this project. This allowed me to clearly answer the question while also keeping the viewer interested. 

The opening sentence of the script was designed to act as a hook. Instead of immediately explaining my background, I chose to begin by acknowledging that audiences usually only see the final product and not the process behind it. This opening sets the tone for the rest of the CCR by encouraging the viewer to think about what goes on behind the scenes. It immediately signals that the video will focus on growth, development and learning rather than just the finished film, which directly connects to the question about production skills. 

Throughout the script, I made sure to include only the most important details that clearly demonstrated how my skills developed during this project. I highlighted my long-term experience in media to establish a strong foundation, then constructed that with the new challenges this project introduced, such as cinematic storytelling, music selection, color grading, and narrative-focused editing. By focusing on these specific areas, I was able to show both what I already knew and what I learned throughout the process. This balance helped ensure that the script stayed focused, answered the CCR question effectively, and reflected intentional creative technical decision-making. 

Planning For CCR Question #3 (Blog #54) CCRS

After spending a lot of time thinking about what I want my CCR videos to be, I realized I’ve been struggling to land on clear ideas. I’ve even watched YouTube videos on how to expand creativity and spark inspiration, but every time I sit down to plan, my mind still feels completely blank. 

So far, I’ve only fully decided on one confirmed idea. For the third question, which focuses on how my skills have developed, I plan to record myself sitting at my desk reading from a script I write ahead of time. I’ve already answered the question in writing so I can turn it into a script to follow while recording, since I know that once the camera is on, I tend to forget what I want to say. I also decided to start planning and prepping out of order since this will be the easiest video to film since I will simply need to read off a script and I will be able to knock one question out of the way and focus on the others for the remaining time of the upcoming deadline.