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Similar character traits I have found-

Sarcastic & Witty, Delivers deadpan, cynical one-liners and often mocks mainstream culture. Uses sharp wit to push people away and challenge

authority. Doesn’t speak much, but when she does, it’s often weirdly profound or dryly funny.

Emotionally Guarded & Distrustful

Jughead – Prefers being an outsider and actively avoids deep emotional connections.

Kat – Puts up walls due to past experiences and refuses to be vulnerable.

Allison – Creates a mysterious, impenetrable persona to keep people at a distance.

Rejects Social Norms & Expectations

Jughead – Sees high school cliques as pointless and prides himself on not fitting in.

Kat – Hates popularity and mainstream trends, preferring alternative music and literature.

Allison – Dresses and acts in a way that deliberately makes her seem "weird" to others.

Unique, Often Dark Aesthetic (Anti-Mainstream Fashion)

Jughead –Beanie, layered clothing, and a darker color palette than his peers.

Kat – Minimal makeup, thrifted clothes, and a grunge-adjacent aesthetic.

Allison – Wears all black, oversized layers, and looks deliberately "messy."

Deep Thinkers / Philosophical Outlook

Jughead – Loves writing and analyzing people, always narrating the world in a detached, literary way.

Kat – Reads feminist literature and challenges the world around her.

Allison – Expresses herself through art and abstract thoughts, often saying something unexpectedly deep.

Misunderstood / Seen as "Difficult"

Jughead – People assume he’s brooding and difficult, but he just doesn’t conform.

Kat – Labeled as "the shrew" because she refuses to be nice for the sake of it.

Allison – Ignored until people realize she actually has a lot to say

How can i incorporate all of this into my character?

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As the editor of this project, my role is to shape the story and bring the director’s vision to life through careful cutting, pacing, and scene arrangement. My editing style will focus on smooth transitions, emotional flow, and rhythm.

For this project, my main goals are to set the right tone, maintain a steady pace, and highlight the emotional moments using the right colour grading techniques, and visual effects. My aim is to relay the themes of psychological thriller and ensure that the edit has subtle foreshadowing and the appropriate effects are used.

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I have made this plan to divide up the workload between me jorenzo and johnny.

My role is going to be mainly visual effects, colour grading, finalising the rough cuts and making everything seemless

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1. Read the Script Thoroughly

Identify any potential editing challenges early on

2. Collaborate with the Director & Camera Operator

Discuss the visual style, pacing, and mood of the film.

Assist with Shot Planning

3. Liaise with Continuity

4. Plan Colour grading techniques and visuals for each scene - communicate with director on this

5. Advise on file formats, naming conventions, and media management for smoother post-production.

6. Organise workflow planning

7. Decide on which software we will be using

8. Build a Post-Production Schedule

Estimate how long different editing phases might take (assembly, rough cut, fine cut, final cut).

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Ultimatley we didnt use this direct folder planning strategy, we didnt have enough time to properly go through each folder and extract all the footage, particualy the Red Komodo footage. This footage, each shot was in separete folders and to extract the al one by one wasnt effective. Hence Renzo had renamed each shot inside Premier Pro, however this made it difficult to extract all the media correctly to Davinci

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Fish Eye Lens - I will be able to replicate with look with Davinci or Premier Pro, using the Optics Conversion Effects and set the Reverse Lens Distortion to curve outward

Water Effect - Again using optics conversion effects but adding a warp tool to create waves.

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Becoming Maxine: A Journey Beneath the Layers

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Becoming Maxine: A Journey Beneath the Layers

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Maxine's character is complex, she wears a lot of layers to cover herself, very openly but underneath she also says she is emotionally wearing layers. I imagine she would use comedy a to distract others.

In my monologue for Maxine I went into depth on why she is wearing the layers and tried to get into Maxine's personal voice. I added a few light-hearted comments.

My personal aim as an actor is to portray an interesting character. Although Maxine has the least lines and the intention for the character is to be 'covered up', I am going to try and use a series of gestures, body movements to show how my character feels - potentially over exaggerated reactions to.

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Who is Maxine? What does she hide and why?

Visual Inspiration: Mood boards of clothing layers, textures, colors—things you imagined Maxine would wear.

Psychological Map: A mind map or bullet-point list showing her internal struggles and defense mechanisms.

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3. Rehearsal Diary / Process Notes

Rehearsal Logs: Short diary-style entries about how rehearsals went, key discoveries, challenges.

Photos / Videos: Clips or images of early rehearsals, blocking, or exercises (e.g. working on awkward pauses or stillness).

Voice / Movement Exploration: How did you physically and vocally shape Maxine? Maybe some audio clips or movement sketches.

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We have had some trouble with Maxines characters and sourcing different clothes and ways to cover her face. The main idea from the costume department was something lace or balaclava like that is white to go over her face. We also had the idea of a veil almost bridal.

Unfortunately, sourcing these materials in time became a major issue. Nothing was prepared ahead of schedule, and when I checked alternative options myself, all delivery times were at least a week out. The day of filming arrived, and the only item the costume team had managed to find was a black piece of fabric.

This fabric was ultimately styled to resemble a hijab.

As a white actor, I immediately felt uncomfortable with this choice. The use of a hijab, especially without any cultural, religious, or narrative context felt ethically inappropriate. I raised my concerns on set and to the director, explaining that this was not just a costume issue, but a matter of cultural respect and representation. Unfortunately, my discomfort was not taken seriously at the time, and the team proceeded with the look.

Later, the footage was reviewed and the decision was made to scrap the entire day of filming due to multiple other people raising concerns.

It was frustrating, both creatively and personally, because I had flagged the issue early. It was a moment where I felt unheard, and where a lack of foresight and inclusivity from the production team created consequences for everyone involved.

Still, I think it’s important to reflect on these moments. This experience made me more aware of the responsibility we hold as artists, not just to our characters, but to the real people and cultures we represent or reference. It also reminded me to advocate for what feels right, even if others aren’t ready to hear it.

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In my short film, I used nodes to create distinct visual styles for two different types of scenes, each inspired by iconic directors. For the Wes Anderson-inspired scene, I built a clean, symmetrical grade starting with a base node for exposure, then added a parallel node to push pastel tones, especially warm pinks and greens, and used another for selective saturation and soft contrast to mimic that storybook look. I also used a power window to subtly vignette and center the frame, reinforcing Anderson’s composed aesthetic. In contrast, for the David Fincher-style scene, I stacked nodes to create a colder, more desaturated palette. I pulled back the warmth using a primary node, added a serial node to deepen shadows, and used curves to sculpt contrast with a slightly green midtone cast. Each node gave me precise control, allowing me to shift the emotional tone from whimsical to brooding.

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To further refine the film’s colour palette, I used the Hue vs Saturation curve in DaVinci Resolve to selectively adjust the intensity of specific colour ranges without altering their hue or affecting other parts of the image. This tool was especially effective in controlling oversaturated elements—such as overly vibrant greens or reds—that distracted from the intended orange and teal aesthetic. By isolating individual hues and reducing or enhancing their saturation, I was able to maintain a cohesive visual style while keeping key tones balanced and natural, particularly in skin tones and background environments.

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As part of the colour grading process in DaVinci Resolve, I utilised the Colour Warper tool to make refined hue and saturation adjustments with greater control. Unlike traditional wheels or curves, the Colour Warper allowed me to directly manipulate specific colour regions within a 2D grid, making it easier to fine-tune the balance between tones, especially when enhancing the orange and teal palette in things such as the sky and Lenas orange jacket. This was particularly useful for adjusting midtones and skin tones without affecting the overall image. The visual layout of the Warper also made it easier to maintain colour harmony across shots.

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To maintain the film’s stylised colour palette of orange and teal to replicate wes andersons style in scenes 1, 3 and 4, I used the vectorscope in DaVinci Resolve as a key reference tool. The vectorscope allowed me to monitor the chromatic values in real time, ensuring skin tones remained natural and the warm-to-cool contrast stayed consistent across shots. This was especially important when applying LUTs and secondary corrections, as it helped prevent unwanted colour shifts that could undermine the film’s visual cohesion.

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For the title sequences, I aimed to reflect the distinct aesthetic of Wes Anderson by sourcing typography that echoed his signature style: clean, symmetrical, and slightly nostalgic. After researching fonts commonly associated with his films, such as Futura and Didot, I selected a typeface that conveyed a similar sense of charm and precision. I ensured the text placement was centred and balanced within the frame, often pairing it with flat compositions and pastel tones to stay true to Anderson’s visual language. This choice not only reinforced the film’s stylistic influences but also helped establish a quirky, curated tone from the outset.

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Creating Fonts for Slides inside

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In post-production, I used DaVinci Resolve to enhance the visual contrast in a wide shot of a lake by manipulating the colour of the water. Using nodes and masking techniques, I isolated the lake area and applied a gradient to shift the water to have a blue tint as the water orginally was a murky green colour. This helped it stand out against the surrounding green tones and forestry, creating a more visually striking image while maintaining the overall mood of the scene.

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Frustration of Losing All Work: The emotional and technical toll of losing all progress just a day before the deadline was incredibly stressful. All the effort put into editing and color grading vanished, causing a setback in the workflow.

Technical Challenges: The crash of the MacBook added another layer of complexity, highlighting how vital proper backups and system stability are in post-production processes. The hardware malfunction created further delays and complications.

Software Struggles: Switching between Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve created additional frustration. Both programs have steep learning curves and different workflows, and the inability to quickly navigate either one impacted efficiency and quality, i struggled to convert EDL files and XMLs into other programes with media files attatched, if we had had more time in preparation this could have been avoided with a better structured data wrangling plan.

Time Pressure: The pressure to get the film completed in time was immense. Having to re-edit and re-grade everything from scratch added a layer of stress that affected both creativity and technical execution. It led to the overall look not being as good as i had planned and anticipate for.

Lessons Learned: The experience highlighted the importance of system backups, mastering the editing software ahead of time, and remaining adaptable in the face of unexpected setbacks. It was a difficult but valuable lesson in handling both the creative and technical aspects of post-production under pressure.

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During the shoot for our short film, we aimed to emulate David Fincher’s signature style, using green lighting to create a controlled, atmospheric tone that enhanced the psychological tension of the group therapy scene. The Commuity centre provided a neutral, slightly clinical backdrop that supported this aesthetic. For for continuity purposes, I wore multiple layers of costume which reflected the character’s internal discomfort. However, this became physically challenging as we filmed in 20-degree heat. To combat this i took breaks inbetween shots where i was not needed and was able to take off my jacket. Continuity was crucial for the edit, particularly in a dialogue-heavy scene where emotional beats needed to remain consistent across multiple takes and angles. This meant sitting in the same position for extended periods of time to ensure visual and narrative cohesion. While uncomfortable, this was essential for maintaining the illusion of a single, uninterrupted scene for the final cut.

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During the workflow between Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, I encountered several issues when attempting to transfer the timeline using both EDL and XML files. While EDLs provided a basic reference for cuts, they lacked support for transitions and effects which resulted in incomplete timelines that required manual rebuilding as well as missing media files. XML files offered a more detailed transfer, but often brought compatibility issues such as mismatched clip names, missing media links, or incorrect speed adjustments or reframing effects. These discrepancies introduced delays in the colour grading stage, as I had to spend additional time relinking footage and adjusting edits to match the original cut and finding new ways to convert the footage over to the progame. This was definiatly a learning curve and if the data had been wrangled efficently we could of avoided this. This highlighted the importance of a well-organised project structure and the need to test file exchanges early in the post-production process to avoid workflow disruptions.

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To create smooth transitions between scenes, I used keyframes in Davinci to animate black screens that would slide in and out of the frame, as well as zooming or reframing certain shots. This technique allowed for a controlled, deliberate pacing that aligned with the film’s tone, especially during moments of thematic or emotional shift. By setting keyframes for scale and position, I could gradually introduce or remove the black overlay, giving the effect of the scene closing or opening like a curtain which also masked unwanted framing issues. This approach offered a creative alternative to standard cuts or fades.

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Researching - "Color Correcting and Color Grading CinemaDNG with DaVinci Resolve " ByKurt Lancaster

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Researching - "Color Correcting and Color Grading CinemaDNG with DaVinci Resolve " ByKurt Lancaster

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Lancaster, K. (2014). Color correcting and color grading CinemaDNG with DaVinci Resolve. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203783429-10/color-correcting-color-grading-cinemadng-davinci-resolve-kurt-lancaster

Reading Color Correcting and Color Grading CinemaDNG with DaVinci Resolve (Lancaster, 2014) really helped me understand the fundamentals of colour grading and how to apply it effectively in DaVinci Resolve. The book breaks down the technical aspects of CinemaDNG files and how colour workflows, giving me practical insights into enhancing the visual quality of my projects. Lancaster’s had a clear explanation of colour correction, balancing, and applying effects and this allowed me to experiment with different looks and achieve more professional results.

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Bringing all the colour grading tools together (Colour Warper, Hue vs Saturation curves, gradient masking, and vectorscope monitoring) allowed me to build a consistent, stylised visual language that supported the narrative and emotional tone of the film. Each tool played a specific role.

Lighting played a crucial role in shaping the final cuts of the film, especially in terms of creating mood and highlighting key elements within the frame. The green lighting we used to emulate a David Fincher-inspired aesthetic was designed to enhance the psychological tension in the group therapy scenes, and made a big contrast compared to the other scenes.

However, working with the Red Komodo camera presented certain challenges, particularly with its sensitivity to low light. The footage often required additional adjustments in post to maintain the desired level of detail in the shadows without introducing too much noise.

In contrast, the Blackmagic camera offered more forgiving performance in lower-light situations, which allowed for cleaner images straight out of the camera. This difference in sensor characteristics required us to adapt our approach, especially in scenes that relied heavily on controlled lighting, particularly in the outdoor clips of Lena walking to the therapy session, where you can see the struggles i found with light. Despite these challenges, the distinct visual qualities of both cameras helped us achieve a dynamic range of looks in the edit, each suited to different parts of the film, but balancing them in the edit required careful colour grading and sometimes additional shot tweaking.

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Linking audio perfectly between Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve was essential for maintaining the integrity of the sound design and dialogue in the final edit.

However, the process of transferring audio from Premiere Pro to DaVinci often introduced synchronisation issues, especially when dealing with complex audio mixes or multiple layers. We occasionally faced challenges where the audio would either slip out of sync or fail to import with the correct settings. This added a layer of complexity, particularly under a tight time crunch, as we had to manually relink and adjust the audio tracks to match the picture. These struggles were compounded by the need to ensure precise sync for key moments of dialogue and sound effects, which required both technical attention and time that was already stretched thin in the final stages of post-production. Ultimately, it highlighted the importance of thorough testing and backup plans when working with multiple software tools in a compressed timeline.

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Runhaar. (2023, May 28). The ONLY NODE STRUCTURE you'll ever need! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBq8refj7cc

After watching the video The ONLY NODE STRUCTURE you'll ever need! (Runhaar, 2023) it showed me node structures in a visual and practical way. It broke down the concept of nodes, showing how they store data and link to other nodes. The visual examples made the ideas easier to grasp, and I especially appreciated the step-by-step coding demonstrations. The video also highlighted how node based structures are used in real world applications, which gave me a better understanding of their importance in programming.

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researching Wes Anderson Colour Grading 

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researching Wes Anderson Colour Grading 

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Color Grading Central. (2023, June 22). Replicate Wes Anderson color palette in the color grade [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08C__HWtOAQ&t=6s

Watching the video on replicating the Wes Anderson color palette really helped me understand how to achieve that signature vibrant yet controlled look.