Final Reflection

 Hey Blog!

Making Airball was a wild ride. From planning on blogger to filming and editing, I had to figure things out as i went. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned in filmmaking, and I learned real quick that problem solving is half the job.

I wanted Airball to be a sports drama with comedy, so I made sure to balance real emotions with funny, relatable moments. Filming had its challenges, some shots didn’t work, audio had to be fixed, and I had to adapt on the go when something went sideways. Editing was where everything really came together. Editing is what we did at the end to make sure everything was perfect and fit in place allowing the production to stay smooth. 

Getting the film out there was also important. Since I am an amateur filmmaker, things won’t become popular overnight. So, I uploaded the movie to YouTube and added teasers and trailers on TikTok to get it some publicity. Me and my group haven’t decided if we’re going to join the film festival, but we will see. 

It all started with my group and I brainstorming ideas. This was probably the hardest part because there was so many things to think about. However, now that it’s finished, I am proud of the production I made. This whole experience taught me that filmmaking is about adapting, learning, making it happen, and most of all PLANNING.

The End

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Ahhh, I am finally done. This has been a rollercoaster of emotions and an overall a rewarding experience. I’m glad I finished on time while still having a few days to make sure everything is perfect.

This Is my opening film-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TTtfP4OjEICFsYV4k5kkHiFZy2HSsxgI/view?usp=drivesdk

CCR 1-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uPTogXTnnbGYqxjhUPwHhkdDOgUSQeh0/view?usp=drivesdk

CCR 2-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10V1GSH-iuLTPEIIhmX1daICL01jpIjZ8/view?usp=drivesdk

Post CCR production

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I finished filming my CCR’s, I had a great time filming the uber one, it was very fun and it actually made me reflect on my production. 

Glad to finally be done with this project. I will still be making sure everything is up and running for the next couple of days.

CCR Production

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Today, I just want to tell you what I'm planning on doing for my CCR tasks.

For task 1 I decided I wanted to make a powerpoint presentation, elaborating on questions 1 and 2. I think this is a good way to present the information while still being creative.

For task 2 I was planning on making a small video about me the producer getting interviewed by my uber driving unexpectedly. The idea is that I would walk into my uber and he would start asking me questions about my production since he say it on TikTok and loved it. I think this is a different and creative way to answer these questions.

CCR #4 Script

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I liked the idea of the uber driver so I believe in my CCR task 2, I will be answering questions 3 and 4 like this. 

Find out more by reading this script.

UBER DRIVER

Yo, that’s dope. But how did you even pull it off? Like, what tech did you use?

 

PRODUCER

Oh, tech was everything. For filming, we used an Iphone 16 pro —solid camera for sharp shots. To keep things smooth. For audio on some shots, we used a mic so the dialogue didn’t sound all echo-y. And lighting? We had LED lights, we mainly used it for indoor shots.

 

UBER DRIVER

Man, I never even think about that stuff when I watch movies. What about editing?

 

PRODUCER

Editing was huge. I used Adobe Premiere Pro to cut everything together and tweak the colors. Some transitions and title graphics? Those were done in After Effects. I just cleaned up the dialogue and mix everything right while editing.

 

UBER DRIVER

So you basically did everything?

 

PRODUCER

(Laughs)

Pretty much. But even before editing, I was using Blogger to keep track of my ideas and plan my shots. And for promotion? Canva helped me design posters and thumbnails to make sure the film got attention.

 

UBER DRIVER

Man, that’s a lot. So looking back, what’s the biggest thing you learned about using all this tech?

 

PRODUCER

That technology makes everything possible. Even with a small budget, if you know how to use cameras, lighting, and editing software, you can make something that looks professional. And with social media and online platforms, getting people to see it is easier than ever.

 

UBER DRIVER

That’s wild. You’re gonna be big one day, I know it.

 

PRODUCER

(Laughs)

Appreciate it. But first, let’s get me home before I start giving out spoilers.

 I will continue editing this script to make sure it flows properly before filming.

CCR #3 Script

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I decided that for this one I would make the script, this is just an idea, but basically my uber recognized my name from the movie credits and…

Read the script to find out.

(The producer, [Noah Becherucci], sits in the backseat of an Uber, scrolling through their phone. The UBER DRIVER glances at the name on the app and does a double take.)

 

UBER DRIVER

(Excited)

Wait… hold up. Are you [Noah Becherucci]?

 

PRODUCER

(Uh… unsure)

Uh, yeah?

 

UBER DRIVER

Yo! You made Airball, right?! I saw that on TikTok! That movie was fire!

 

PRODUCER

(Laughs)

Oh wow, thanks! Didn’t expect my Uber driver to be a fan.

 

UBER DRIVER

Man, I gotta ask—how’d you even make that? Like, how did your skills get to that level?

 

PRODUCER

Oh, trust me, it was a process. At first, I just had a general idea—I knew I wanted a mix of sports drama and comedy, but I had to do a lot of research. I watched other sports films, studied how they used camera work, pacing, and humor, then worked on my script and shot list.

 

UBER DRIVER

So once you started filming, was it easy?

 

PRODUCER

(Laughs)

Not at all. Some shots didn’t look as good as I imagined, so I had to adjust angles on the fly. Scheduling was a mess, and I realized bad audio can ruin everything—we had to redo some lines and even add voiceovers in editing.

 

UBER DRIVER

Man, that sounds stressful. So compared to your older projects, do you think you leveled up?

 

PRODUCER

Oh, for sure. Before this, I was just focused on getting the shots. This time, I really paid attention to framing, lighting, and sound. Editing became huge too—I learned how to cut scenes better, adjust pacing, and add effects to make everything flow.

 

UBER DRIVER

That’s crazy. So now that it’s done, do you feel like you pulled off what you wanted?

 

PRODUCER

(Looks out the window, thinking)

Yeah. Looking back, I can see how much I’ve grown. It wasn’t perfect, but I learned to think on my feet, fix problems, and improve my technical skills. And now, I’ve got a finished short film that actually tells the story I wanted.

 

UBER DRIVER

That’s inspiring, man. I gotta rewatch it now. You got more projects coming?

 

PRODUCER

(Laughs)

Working on it.

Group Meeting #2

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Today in class we had our second group meeting. This one was different from the previous group meeting we had. In group meeting #1 we were critiquing and helping each other develop a better story. Today we mainly talked about what we were using to edit, how the filming went, and struggles or obstacles we went through. Most of us had one big obstacle in common, we all struggled with time management. Planning ahead did help making sure we finished in time, but finding a time that works for everyone was tricky. Also, a lot of my peers haven’t started editing yet, this was a shock to me because this we are getting close to the due date. This group meeting was very helpful because I learned from others mistakes, along with relating to a lot of my classmates.

CCR #2 research

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The right audience-

Airball is made for teenagers, high school athletes, and sports comedy fans. A lot of people especially young athletes, know what’s its like to feel pressure to be great. Teens and young adults, ages around 13-24 connect with coming of age films, so we wanted to make something relatable not just for athletes, but for anyone for anyone who’s ever felt like they weren’t good enough. 

How would Airball be released?

Since we are just “amateur” film makers, putting it in theaters wouldn’t be realistic. Instead, we could focus on YouTube and social media to get it in front of the right people. Because these apps use algorithms we can reach the right and bigger audience. We could also submit this film to film festivals, which do happen at our school. This would be a great way to release Airball.

Takeaways-

We wanted the film to feel fun but real, so we mixed comedy and drama. JD’s struggles are serious, but his coach and teammates bring humor to keep it from feeling to heavy. The fast dialogue, slow motion shots, and music choices make it feel more modern. At the end of the day, Airball is for anyone who loves sports, comedy, and underdog stories. By making it relatable, funny, and easy to watch online, we would make sure the right people see it.

#1 question of CCR post

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Today I am working on research for question #1 of my CCR, “How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

Our film mixes two genre that aren’t normally associated, our genre is sports drama and comedy. In the film Airball we decided to take a different approach to the usual sports drama. like in most sports films JD, a young athlete trying to get better with the help of a tough but caring coach. However, instead of building up to a big game or win it focuses more on failure, self doubt, and the pressure of living up to expectations. Right from the start JDs terribly missed shot sets the tone for the whole film, its funny, but also shows how much he’s struggling. 

Challenging sport film conventions-

Most sports films show an athlete working hard, overcoming obstacles and eventually proving themselves with a wining a game or any big moment. However in Airball we challenged this by making failure the focus. JD doesn’t magically improve overnight and the story doesn’t end with some huge win. Instead, it highlights the realistic struggles of athletes, where improvement is slow and how much self doubt can slow you down. The ending with JD trading alone and still struggling shows that growth takes time.

Social issue-

Our film also represents the social pressure in sports, like how JD feels he has to live up to his older brothers success. His coach, Marcus, uses tough love, pushing him to improve, which his mom tells him that he doesn’t have to be Jason. This shows how two different people deal with expectations, one pushes JD for greatness, while the other reminds him that his worth isn’t just basketball. Our film also shows mental struggles in sports like how JD has sleepless nights. 

Takeaway-

Airball was meant to make the viewers laugh but it might also be relatable to some young athletes going through the same thing.

Post-production process post (editing)

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The grind continues, and we deciding to add some extra effects to our production. Today, we are working on the voiceover making sure its clear and perfectly timed with the visuals. This voiceover is the only one we will be adding because its really needed to bring this scene to life. Today we are also focus on adding a few special effects which will enhance the story a bit more making it more visually pleasing. Since we aren’t actual movie directors, making sure the editing is perfect is key to making sure it doesn’t look like a montage of scenes smashed together. 

Post-production process post (editing)

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Ah, the fun part is over and the hard part begins. Now that we have finished filming we have to start editing our production and make it perfect.  We are starting to trim down scenes and pick which ones we want to use in our production. We also adjusted the pacing, to make sure everything flows together. After doing this we added color correction and layered music to emphasize on emotions being felt. Although this is a lot of work, every tweak we make helps us get closer to creating the best version of our production. 

Theses are some pictures from when we started editing (we did video trimming by phone because it worked better for us)—>

Final Filming day

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Finally we have finished filming and I can’t lie I had a blast. Our only major set back while filming was dying of laughter at some scenes. Despite of this set back we were able to finish filming on time according to our plan. Today we finished up doing the office scene which took so long because it was way to funny, the amount of bloopers we have is insane. We also did the bedroom scene, this one was challenging because we had to make sure the lighting was perfect for the shot.

These are some examples of the office scene—>

    This was a pretty important scene for the film so we needed to make sure it was perfect, which was challenging because of how funny they were to make. I think we did a good job using the over the shoulder technique as the characters were talking. These shots helped establish the relationship between the two, emphasizing on their connection.

The last scene we filmed today was the bedroom scene. This was also an important scene where we meet JD’s mom. JD was upset in this scene about him trying to get better at basketball but doesn’t see improvement. The props we had in this scene were a signed basketball, jerseys hanging up and the picture of his brother. The mom was playing a “cool mom” figure and the mise en scene was her wearing jeans and a modern white top. Since she is a drama member at our school she was very helpful in this production.

Filming Day #3

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Today we came back to LA Fitness to finish up filming the scenes with JD along with introducing coach Marcus and player 2. We were at the basketball courts filming and realized we forgot a few props so we had to go back home to pick it up, which delayed our plans quite a bit. But it ended up being to our advantage, when we came back to the basketball courts they were empty which made it a lot easier to film without capturing random people in the background. This also helped us minimize background noise that would disrupt our dialogue. 

The main scenes we focused on today were coach Marcus getting upset with JD and a few other one. 

Here are some examples of the shots we took:

Takeaway- 

When shooting scenes come prepared. This was now the second time that our production got disrupted by our own mistakes we need to do a little better. 

We are basically done filming we just need to do The office scene (which will be done in school tomorrow) and the bedroom scene which is very short.

Filming day #2

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Today was our second day of filming and let m tell you it went way smoother than yesterday. Shooting the gym scenes was surprisingly easy because we got lucky and the gym was practically empty. However, today the basketball courts were packed so we had to wait around hoping for an opportunity to film all the scenes we needed. We were able to do most of them involving JD and player one, here are some examples————>

 Unfortunately, today we did not have enough time to introduce coach Marcus and Player 2. However, tomorrow we are coming back to film everything we weren’t able to do today.