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.

Audience and Distribution- CCR Question #2 Final Result (Blog #53) CCRS

Making my CCR video for question #2 was such a fun experience. I didn’t want it to feel awkward or too formal, so I thought it would be cool to have my friends act as my crazy “fans”. I’m really glad and thankful they agreed to help because it made the CCR have a fun and different first few seconds. It gave it an energetic energy that I could never deliver solely by myself. When filming it didn’t feel like I was completing an assignment, it felt like I was simply having fun with my friends. 

At the beginning, my friends asked me quick questions like they were fans trying to get answers to their questions. It was fast-paced and a little chaotic in a good and fun way, which made it feel real. Then one of them asked the actual CCR question #2, and that’s when I smoothly transitioned into giving my full answer. I liked doing it this way because it didn’t feel forced. It felt like I was responding to people instead of just talking straight into the camera even though that was technically what I was actually doing. 

The editing process was also different this time. For my first two video CCRs, I mostly used pictures over my videos, so editing was pretty simple but for this one, I added clips from my film opening along with graphics I made on Canva. That made it more detailed and definitely more time-consuming. I had to carefully pick which clips matched what I was explaining and make sure everything flowed together. It took more effort, but it also made the video look more put together and professional.

(Graphics made on Canva for the video)

 Overall, this CCR felt more creative and personal compared to the other video. Getting my friends involved, setting up the fun and crazy intro was not an easy task but a fun one, and adding actual film clips pushed me to step up my editing skills. Even though it was more work, I’m really proud of how it turned out at the end. 

(The final result)

Audience and Distribution CCR Question #2 Script (Blog #52) CCRS

When I first started working on the CCR #2 script, the blog where I answered all the CCR questions was a huge help. It was actually a huge help when writing all my scripts for the CCRs since I had an outline of my answers. It broke the answer and question into smaller pieces so I knew exactly what I needed to cover. Instead of stressing about remembering everything, I used it to jot down my answer to the question in writing and wrote down the main points l wanted to hit, like the emotional impact of the story, the techniques I used to bring it to life, and how it could reach viewers. It made planning my script feel a lot less overwhelming. 

Once I had my blog opened with the answers, putting the script together felt much easier. I wrote it more like I was talking to someone, starting with the story and the character’s struggles, then moving into how the visuals and music help the audience connect with her world. I also included how the film could be shared online and how people might engage with it. Having the answer kept me organized, so I could answer the CCR question clearly without leaving anything out.  

CCR- Conventions and Representation Script 

Planning for CCR Question #2 (Blog #51) CCRS

When I first thought about how to answer the CCR #2 question 

“How do your product engage with the audience and how would they be distributed as real media text?” 

I considered filming a full meet-and-greet scene like I had discussed in my first CCR blog but for a few reasons I tweaked the idea a bit. I think filming a whole meet-and-greet scene would take forever to film and plan, mainly because of me since filming always takes me a few hours. Coordinating a bunch of people to be extras and acting in front of a crowd would take too long especially because of the length of the script I wrote. 

So I came up with a simpler, fun idea that still gets the point across. This video would start with me walking down the hallway like a normal day, when someone suddenly stops me and asks, “Are you Veronica?” I’d look confused and nod, and then all of a sudden a bunch of people walking by would gather around and start taking pictures, asking for autographs, calling me a famous YouTuber and movie director. Overwhelmed, I’d run away and they would follow. 

As I’m running, someone shouts the CCR #2 question, and it cuts to me at home thinking about it. From there, the video would transition to a livestream where I actually answer the question. The answer would mostly be a voiceover, with clips of my film playing to show examples of audience engagement and distribution strategies. 

I think this idea works better than the full meet-and-greet because it’s quicker to film the scenes with others aside from myself, more creative, and adds a fun, humorous twist. It also still creaky shows how I want my film to connect its audience, making it both entertaining and informative. 

Conventions and Representation- CCR Question #1 Final Result (Blog #50) CCRS

When I started filming my CCR #1, I already had a clear vision in mind. I was heavily inspired by Diary of a Wimpy Kid and its simple, hand-drawn, almost notebook-style aesthetic. I loved how the visuals feel personal, like you’re flipping through someone’s diary, and I wanted to bring that same energy into my project. Instead of going for something overly polished or cinematic, I focused on making it feel creative, expressive and slightly playful, while still connecting to the themes of my film opening. 

To match that inspiration, I designed graphics that reflected the Diary of a Wimpy Kid art style. I paid attention to the sketch-like drawings and bold outlines. I recreated that rough, doodled look so it felt intentional rather than messy. This helped my CCR feel more cohesive and visually connected to the tone I was aiming for. The graphics weren’t just random, they supported my ideas and made the presentation more engaging to watch. 

When it came to editing, the process felt very similar to CCR #3. I already understood how to layer visuals with voiceovers effectively which was the main style of the video. Because of that, the technical side wasn’t difficult. However, even though it was easy in terms of skill, it was definitely time-consuming. Matching the graphics to the style, adjusting timing, and making sure everything flowed smoothly required patience and attention to detail. For the graphics, before editing I went ahead and asked ChatGPT to generate a drawing of myself in this art style so I could use that drawing when referring to the main character since I can’t draw whatsoever and used the background removal option in Canva and made all my graphics in there. 

(The drawings ChatGPT made)

(I few graphics I made for the video in Canva)

For the very first scene I got my own personal journal and wrote “Blogger” on it since for most students that’s kinda like our diary and journal for this class and added text onto the screen and changed the “Of a Wimpy Kid” to “Of a Media Studies Kid”. Hopefully it makes sense to most and isn’t too niche. 

(The final result)